A’s Jeff Samardzija will wear “NL” uniform at All-Star Game

Here’s an odd one: The newest A’s pitcher, Jeff Samardzija – who already has a win under his belt with Oakland – will wear a general “National League” jersey as a non-participating member of the NL team at the All-Star Game in Minneapolis a week from today, an MLB official tells me. MLB already has discussed the matter with Samardzija.

Samardzija will not pitch for the NL, but he will be in the awkward situation of rooting against the team whose jersey he is wearing, given that he’s playing for AL West leading A’s and home-field advantage in the World Series is at stake in the game.

The only way in which Samardzija would wear an A’s uniform and play in the game is if he is chosen as an injury replacement, but given that the Final Vote candidate will add another pitcher to the AL All-Star squad, that seems a little unlikely. Carlos Beltran was named an NL injury replacement in 2004 after being traded from the Royals to the Astros.